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Portland, Maine

UNE, Portland Press Herald to host Portland Mayoral Debate in October

Portland candidates for mayor 2023

The University of New England is partnering with the Portland Press Herald to host a debate between the five candidates running for Portland mayor on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The debate, moderated by Press Herald reporters Grace Benninghoff and Rachel Ohm, will take place at Innovation Hall on UNE’s Portland Campus. While it is free and open to the public, advanced registration is required to attend.

The Portland Press Herald will also livestream the debate on its website.

The candidates – Pious Ali, Justin Costa, Mark Dion, Dylan Pugh, and Andrew Zarro – are running to replace Kate Snyder, who announced last year she would not run for reelection. Ali, Dion, and Zarro are current Portland City Councilors while Costa served on the city council from 2014 to 2020. Pugh is seeking his first political office.

Hosting this debate is just another example of UNE’s commitment to fostering an environment of free expression, open inquiry, and civil discourse on topics that are often difficult or controversial. The University’s Marketplace of Ideas cultivates resources and guidance to help the community assess information and draw rational conclusions while using that knowledge to build effective solutions. 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest private university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.